UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed she is unable to pass Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman, using the example to highlight what she described as the UK’s “naive” approach to immigration.
Speaking on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, Ms Badenoch criticised the UK’s system as overly generous and said immigrants often exploit freedoms that would not be permitted in their home countries.
“There are many people who come to the UK who do things that would not be acceptable in their countries,” she told the programme.
She pointed to Nigeria’s citizenship laws, which she said deny her the right to confer nationality on her children despite her own citizenship by birth.
“It’s virtually impossible to get Nigerian citizenship. I have that citizenship by virtue of my parents. I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman,” she said.
Ms Badenoch, who has three children with her husband, Hamish Badenoch, argued the UK must stop being “naive” about its immigration policies.
“Loads of Nigerians come to the UK and stay for a relatively free period of time, acquire British citizenship. We need to stop being naive,” she said.
Asked whether she would support the idea of immigrants recreating cultural enclaves such as “mini-Nigerias” in the UK, she replied: “That is not right. Nigerians would not tolerate that. That’s not something that many countries would accept.”
The remarks have sparked fresh debate on immigration and integration, as Ms Badenoch signalled she would make it “a lot harder” to acquire British citizenship if elected Prime Minister.
Born in London in 1980 to Nigerian-Yoruba parents, Ms Badenoch spent part of her childhood in Lagos before returning to the UK at 16. She has held senior cabinet roles under former Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak and became Conservative Party leader in 2024.
Her comments are likely to resonate with party members seeking a tougher stance on immigration, though critics may raise concerns over comparisons that could alienate minority communities.
